One Life, Two Choices
by Evil Kitten1
Summary: A prequel to "Two Lives, One Choice." Jobless Berwald was fed up with having no job, and coffee-shop worker Tino's depression was made worse by the fact that his canine companion had died. A twist of fate brings Berwald to the coffee shop where the Finnish man lives at a busy part of Stockholm...


Disclaimer: All characters belong to Hidekaz Himaruya

A/N: This is sort of a prequel to Two Lives One Choice, where Berwald meets Tino. I don't know how to explain how the story runs, but it's like it's their thoughts illustrating the story… does that make sense...?

* * *

'It's a sad day. My dog died young from parvo and I got her cremated, but now it leaves me with 5 years worth of payment to pay to the pet crematorium and to pay off for the urn I put Hana's ashes in. Dammit I'm lucky that the directors are letting me pay back each week, but my job at the coffee shop sucks when it comes to pay… speaking of which, I better get to work another menial day at the shop…'

'It's been a boring day. Job-hunting, but no success at all. I got a qualification in the business sector rom university for Odin's sake, I should at least have gotten a managerial position at a workplace. ANY business would do as long as it pays me. Well… I'll just take a break now and go get a drink out. Some coffee would do…'

'The shop is empty. Good, because it's quiet, but bad because it means less money to go into my wages. Damn it all. Why haven't I quit long ago? Curse my lack of qualifications… Huh? The bell just rang. …Wow.'

'The waiter seemed shocked to see me though I never met them before, but I just sat down in the corner of the empty coffee shop and had a glance at the menu. Overpriced bottled water seems appealing… not.'

'The customer seemed bored, depressed even. I wonder what he was doing before he got here? Aaand I just remembered that I work here and I got my notepad and pen and walked over to him.'

'That same waiter came over to me and asked what I would like. He seems cute. His accent doesn't sound very Swedish, but I understood him anyway. I asked for some coffee and he nodded, walking off. He looked slightly plump on his butt underneath the tight jeans… well since I'm not in a job yet, I'll just let loose and say this: He's got a nice butt.'

'The coffee machine was really temperamental and I swore at it and slapped the side of machine before it suddenly gave up and died. I yelled at it now, ignoring whoever is staring at me from the kitchen and kicked it before it spluttered out the sickly brownish liquid into a polystyrene cup. I sighed, glad that it finally worked and I picked it up but I dropped the cup onto my shoes because the STUPID CUP DIDN'T HAVE THE CARDBOARD INSULATER ON IT!'

'I was startled and scared to hear so much screaming and yelling from the kitchens. Now the waiter started screaming in what sounded like someone in a Finnish bloodbath movie. But he sounded furious. Then there was silence. Before he started shouted again. Now someone else is shouting, but the waiter yelled something back about "having the suckiest job in the world with the suckiest coffee machine and the suckiest boss not having any sympathy for him". I heard more shouting before the waiter – who took off his apron and dumped it on the floor – stormed out past the counter and through the front doors. His boss was standing there looking flustered that I overheard the whole thing, but I just had enough and stood up before leaving.'

'I had enough! My life is over. I got no job, my landlord is expecting me to pay him today or I'll get prosecuted, Hana died so I cannot hug her, I think my right foot is going to have blisters and- and- life just sucks… I can't stand it. I can't stand the look of the people around me seeing my frustrated tears! I have to run and I'll close my eyes—'

'NO!'

'…It hurts… so much… Dying hurts so much…'

'…That waiter… I tried to go after him but he just ran out into the road before getting hit by a car. His body flew and rolled over the top of the car before collapsing in a crumpled heap on the tarmac. The following car screeched its brakes and stopped in the nick of time. Everyone on the sidewalks panicked, but I dove out to him seeing as the traffic stopped. His head was bleeding, but I held his hand and quickly told him to hang in there. His weakened words broke my heart…'

'I have nothing to live for now… let me die…'

'But I couldn't. I demanded a bystander – most of them – to call for an ambulance, though it's like the whole city was at a standstill, watching us, wondering what we are to each other before this incident happened. I looked at his face and I gently wiped some blood away with my sleeve, telling him he will be alright…'

'But I have nothing to live for…'

'It was all spontaneous. I suddenly wanted him by my side, to live with me, to share my stories of hardship with him and share his warmth. He may not be considered "beautiful" by other people, but I have standards of my own – I find him breathtaking.'

'Who is that man? Is he the only man in the world with such a gentle caring touch?'

'Who is that ex-waiter? Is he the only man in the world with so much broken stories in his eyes?'

'I murmured, whimpering in pain: My name is Tino… ugh…'

'I whispered in return, squeezing his hand: M' name 's Berwald.'

* * *

'I rode in the ambulance with Tino, whom was unconscious. His injuries were said to be serious, so the ambulance is almost driving at light speed. I still held his hand, but not tightly or the medic will worry I'll cut his blood supply off.'

* * *

'Many hours in hospital later, the surgeries were finished and I get to see Tino. I walked in the ward and saw him staring off into space blankly with his hospital gown and a thin sheet over his lower half of his body and his arm was in a cast. He was cleaned of any blood, but his face looked… ashen and heavily depressed with blank eyes. They lost their sweet glint of lavender.

'I got nothing… I got nothing… I got nothing…'

'I sat by him and watched him, wondering if he's even listening to me saying his name. Or was I saying it wrong?'

'Ber…vald?'

'I smiled and said I'm glad he's alright.'

'I fell in love with his smile.'

'I fell in love with his smile.'

'I asked him: Is there someone ya want me t' call to pick ya up?'

'I drooped and laid back down, shaking my head. I got no family.'

'No family. What about friends?'

'I shook my head.'

'Absolutely nobody to go to?'

'I shook my head and cried because I thought of Hana.'

'His tears broke my heart, and I wiped his cheeks again with some soft tissue. He cried and asked me why I'm wasting my time with him…'

'Yes, why are you wasting the precious time that you have left in your life while I'm just here to convert oxygen into carbon dioxide?'

'Because…'

'Because…? Spit it out so you can leave sooner and get back to your life.'

'Because I think I'm interested in you…'

'In what way? If he wants me to be his pimp-toy, then I'm up for it as long as he pays me decently. Any amount of money is better than the coffee shop's menial wage.'

'In a way… like… wanting t' date ya…'

'Oh how cute. He's blushing. And he's in love with me. I swear there is no such thing as "love at first sight."'

'So… do ya… want t' go out with me…?'

'I nodded with a small smile and lifted my healthy hand towards him. I couldn't reach to touch him, but he got the clue and held my hand with his, squeezing it light with a smile.'

'…I promise you, no date at coffee shops.'

'I laughed so hard I started to cry again and the doctor asked me if I was in pain. I was. But Berwald just made me forget a whole lifetime of pain with just 10 simple syllables.'

* * *

5 months went by quickly since that fateful day between Berwald and Tino, and they lived together almost a week after they first met. When it came to making love, it was difficult because Tino's left leg and arm were bandaged, but when the cast came off, they had a slow and gentle start to their relationship. The light in Tino's eyes came back the longer they spent time together eating, sleeping and bathing with each other. Everything was perfect.

To make it better, Berwald got a job in Ikea as one of the general workers, but he was quickly promoted for his great ideas and innovation on the business. Before he even had his job, he had some money leftover from his family so he gave the money to Tino to pay off the bills that he owed the Pet Crematorium and for the urn, so now he felt completely stress-free. Soon after, Tino got a small job at the supermarket down the road to help pay the bills in half as well.

Though they didn't know everything about each other, they continued to live happily together in their small house in town. Even that's about to change soon since Berwald's managerial position paid him extremely handsomely and they're going to move into an inner-city apartment.

Berwald knew somehow that if it wasn't for him, Tino would've killed himself from his depression sooner. But Berwald knew that he had two choices on that day that they met. He could go to that coffee shop or go straight home and never having to meet Tino. Berwald's only problem now is trying to understand Tino's mind and how it works and how it became that way… He's still extremely sweet, but he is rather emotional for a male, even when he is gay himself.

But he had two choices back then, and the one choice he made gave him a great life leading up to him living happily with his fiancé.

It's funny how fate works.

* * *

A/N: Aaaaaaagh okay it may not have made much sense, but this is the one free day where I get to do nothing and relax, and my mind hasn't worked like normal today… So things may not have made sense in the story on terms of time and ages, so sue me DX

End of oneshot.


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